Burkina Faso Leader Discusses Military Cooperation with Russian Delegation

The Burkina Faso presidency said Thursday it held talks with a Russian delegation in the capital Ouagadougou where interim President Ibrahim Traore discussed a possible military cooperation, among other issues.

The visit, led by Russian deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, was a follow-up to talks between Traore and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg in July.

A statement from the Burkina presidency did not say if Russian military trainers would be dispatched to Burkina Faso.

Following the meeting, Yevkurov said training for Burkinabe cadets, officers and pilots in Russia, as well as economic and nuclear energy assistance, were part of the discussions held.